


The Goodest of Boys

by Harlow (Damien)



Series: Twin Vale Apartments [2]
Category: Working at an Amusement Park - Girl_from_the_crypt
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Gen, Mr Scratch is best boy, Twin Vale Apartments, Warin is a good uncle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23739496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damien/pseuds/Harlow
Summary: The hunt for a new owner for the wolf hound at Leah's work has been awful, and he's such a sweet dog. Surely Nathan wouldn't mind a little giant surprise, right?"
Series: Twin Vale Apartments [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707454
Kudos: 39





	The Goodest of Boys

Leah sat on the floor, the cold of the concrete a little soothing. The head of the wolf hound was huge and its weight was a little uncomfortable on top of her knee, but he was calm and that was what mattered. He seemed to like her for some reason, and she wanted to make sure it stayed like that.

She lifted one of his big paws, watching his body for any signs of tension or unease, but his lazily flopping tail and flopped over body seemed fairly content. He’d barked at the tech who’d tried to clip his nails before, but he seemed completely peaceful now, like he’d never barked at anyone in his life. Leah checked on his paw pads, pleased by how much they’d healed over the few days he’d been kenneled here. His nails were long, though, and he hadn’t let anyone get anywhere near him with clippers before. But, as she lined them up to trim the first of his nails, the dog affectionately nicknamed Mr Scratch because of the length of his "talons" just wagged slowly, calmly, and even the sound of the clippers didn’t make him freak out.

Leah stroked down his side, grinning like she’d won the lottery. “Good boy, you’re such a good boy, thank you for being good, okay?” His tail thumped against the floor, and she patted his side. “Okay, just… a bunch more to go, okay?” He tilted his head to look at her, but otherwise didn’t seem to care.

She moved from paw to paw, getting him to move half way through because of his size. She smiled at him, cooing over him each time the clippers trimmed away more signs of him having been a stray.

Gathering up the clippings, she kept her hand on his head. He blinked slowly, looking exhausted, and Leah couldn’t help but want to pet him over and over. The clinic was quiet, and everyone knew this big boy was her pet project, since he only really responded to her commands.

She patted his flank, trying to slide her legs out from under his head. “Okay, okay, let me out. I’ve gotta throw this out, and I’d like my legs to not be asleep.” He rolled over, laying on his back and curling his paws in toward his chest. His tongue rolled out of his mouth, and Leah kneeled next to him, scratching his chest and belly. “Yes, you’re a cutie, but I’m at work.” She struggled to her feet, her legs definitely a little asleep, and stumbled to the trash, Mr Scratch by her side and keeping her from stumbling too much. “Hey, big guy, I’ve been walking for like 24 years or something, I don’t think I need help.” She rested her hand between his shoulder blades, smiling down at him. “You wanna crush my feet while I look at emails from people who want to adopt you?” He wagged his tail, slowly, and Leah giggled. “Okay, come on.”

At the computer, Leah tucked the big dog under the desk, and he flopped down gracelessly onto her feet. He rested a paw under his chin, the side of his head against her calf. “Okay, good boy, we’ve got a few.” She scrolled through them, rejecting most of them outright. They either hadn’t read his listing or didn’t care, and Leah’s heart broke. Her boss had let her keep him here while they waited for a spot to open at a shelter, but she knew he’d probably never be adopted at a shelter. People wanted small and cute or one of a handful of other breeds, and a giant baby wasn’t one of them, at least not around here.

She pulled up the Facebook page of the last potential adopter from this batch and rolled her eyes. The woman had a gaggle of dogs, most small, and judging by the dates and descriptions of the photos, she’d had at least 8 when she filled in the application claiming she only had two.

Leah made a noise of disgust at the computer, and Mr Scratch bonked his head on the underside of the desk to look at her. “Oh, baby,” she cooed, petting his head. “It’s okay, I might just box you up and toss you in my closet at home.” He yawned, staring at her. “Actually…” she mumbled, rolling back from the desk.

She pulled up the number for Dale she’d gotten after moving in and tapped it, holding the phone to her ear as her other hand dug into soft fur. “Hi, Dale, I have a question about our lease,” she said as soon as he picked up.

Dale paused for a second, seeming to be considering. “Oh, Leah, right. I almost forgot we had a new tenant.” The sound of typing in the background became evident, and Leah moved from petting the dog to scratching his neck cuff, letting him plop his head in her lap. “Alright, what do you need?”

Leah let out a little giggle, at least half of her focus on Mr Scratch as he tried to curl up between her legs. “So, I remember seeing that Twin Vale is pet friendly,” she started, waiting for him to make any sound before she continued. “Is there a size or weight limit on the animals?”

Dale’s typing stopped, and he let out a sigh. “You know, I thought only Mulberry would be one I’d have to worry about with pets. Why, do you want an elephant or something?” He sounded exhausted, but not like he was joking, and Leah laughed from the absurdity.

With a slight giggle still in her voice, Leah answered him. “No, no, of course not, they’d get stuck in the elevator. I do have a big good boy right here staring at me, though, and nobody else meets his criteria.”

Dale let the silence drag on a bit, the sound of his fingers tapping on the cheap desktop barely audible. “I think I have to ask, since I can’t be too sure with people living here. It’s not an illegal animal of any variety, correct?”

Leah snorted, pulling her phone from her ear. She leaned back, getting a good shot of the dog staring up at her, looking confused, and making it obvious by the size difference between her legs and his head just how big he was. “I’ll text you a picture.” She said, tapping in his cell phone number as he recited it to her.

Dale’s phone chimed, and she heard him sigh out something like “Oh thank fuck,” before he lifted the office phone back to his mouth. “Yeah, I mean, we need some basic paperwork, showing he’s got his shots and normal things like that, but you work at a vet clinic, so I’m pretty sure you’ll have no issue with that.”

Leah pressed a kiss to Mr Scratch’s brow, giggling with joy. “Awesome, awesome! I’ll get all of that set up and I can email or fax it over, if that works for you?”

She heard Dale set down his cellphone, then go back to typing again. “I’ll email you the paperwork, just fill it out, get me the shit it asks for, and I’ll text you if he can come home with you after work, alright?”

Leah gushed out her thank you’s, getting head tilts from her new best friend in return. She had barely hung up the call when she threw her arms around him, squeezing him a little. “Guess who has a home now, big boy? You do!”

*

Her boss poked his head into the back office, watching her type with one hand while petting Mr Scratch with the other. “Any luck?” He asked, walking carefully and standing over Leah.

She jumped a little, blushing up at him. “I… actually think I’m keeping him?” She said, closing out of the pet store website she probably shouldn’t have been looking at while working. “I’ve got to do his paperwork up, then my property manager will let me know if there’s any issues, otherwise he'll be heading home tonight.”

Her boss grinned,, patting her shoulder gently. “Honestly, that’s what we figured would happen. Mr Scratch is like your shadow when he’s loose. If you need anything from the clinic, just let me know, alright?”

She nodded, blush still slowly fading. “Oh, for sure, for sure, I’m gonna probably microchip him later, but otherwise he’s perfect. He’s had his shots, he could maybe use another bath and brushing, but I’ve got all his paperwork.” She watched her boss pat the dog and head to the door, and she turned to watch. “Thank you again.”

He waved off her thanks, smiling a little. “No problem, Leah, you know we put the animals first here. If that means charging you only cost for shots and his care,” he nodded his chin toward the dog, “Then that’s easy enough. I’m not gonna charge you for your own labor. Just make sure to take down his listing.” He waved as he left, shutting the door behind him quietly.

It only took a few minutes for Leah to get everything together, and Dale texted her to let her know he'd gotten it. She managed to do some actual work, and find the time to microchip Mr Scratch, but her focus was on her phone in the quiet moments. She let out a happy sound and punched the air when she got the second text from Dale, welcoming Mr Scratch to Twin Vale, and her last hour or two of work was mostly her vibrating with excitement while considering the logistics.

She was suddenly really glad for some of the overpriced items her clinic sold, because she didn’t want him just free in her back seat, and potentially shoving his face into the front seats while she was driving. He looked ridiculous climbing in, and he seemed a little put off when she put the seatbelt harness on him, especially when she shut the door, but he relaxed when she climbed into the driver’s seat and let him sniff her hand. “We’re going on an adventure, buddy!” She squealed, giving him the biggest smile.

She adjusted her rear view mirror so she could see both out of the back window and Mr Scratch, and she looked at him at each red light. He pressed his face to the window, leaving a smear of drool, and she just giggled at him.

At the pet store, she swapped to the leather leash she’d borrowed from the shop and hooked it to his very basic collar. It’d do for now, but she planned to pick up a harness immediately.

He stayed obediently by her side as they walked, only stopping when she did. He sniffed a few things, especially the bed she threw on the floor in front of him, but he seemed more focused on her than the items she wanted to show him. She picked out the biggest bed they had, and she rolled it down onto the floor. He stepped onto it gingerly, then stepped back off. She giggled a little, patting him, then she picked it up, tucking it awkwardly under one arm.

An employee from down the aisle noticed her and brushed their pants off, smiling. “Hey, can I take that for you and leave it up at the front for when you’re ready?” Leah nodded, eagerly handing it over. “Anything else I can help with?”

Leah laughed, patting Mr Scratch. “We’re gonna be heading home for the first time, and this big boy needs a little bit of everything. Definitely a crate, food and water bowls, some toys….” She trailed off, considering him. “A harness, if you carry them in giant boy size. Probably a new collar, y’know, a bit of everything.”

The employee nodded, taking the bed with them toward the front. “I’ll meet you at the crates, alright?” At her nod, they shuffled through people, starting the stack of her items.

They helped Leah as she wandered from aisle to aisle, ticking off things on her mental list. She kept to a simple black, brown and/or red scheme, only considering the issue of transport once she saw the stack of items waiting for her. It took some creative positioning, but she managed to get the crate in, and almost everything else fit fine in her trunk, thankfully.

When she parked, she cursed under her breath at seeing Warin watering the flowers out front. She hadn’t said anything to him since she moved in, and she had succeeded at avoiding him since then. He didn’t turn to her, but she assumed he heard the car. It took a few deep breaths, but she managed to convince herself to get out, and she immediately moved to let out Mr Scratch. He hopped down, sniffing the air loudly, and wagged, thumping his tail on the car.

Warin looked over at the noise, doing a double take. His eyes roamed over the dog, then up Leah’s body as she struggled with the crate box shoved in awkwardly. She was bent over and the scrub pants weren’t particularly flattering, but a blush climbed up his neck to his face regardless. He dropped the hose, stepping closer. “Hey, miss? Leah, right?” He asked, startling her enough for her to hit her head on the roof of her car.

She climbed back out, rubbing her head gently. “Oh, it’s you. I mean, hello, yes, I’m Leah?” She tried, stumbling over her words. Mr Scratch sniffed at Warin, trotting over to his side and accepting a pet. “He likes you, I guess,” she said, watching the traitor rubbing on Warin’s side and getting a little bit of dirt on his fur.

Warin’s eyes crinkled a little when he smiled, and he looked genuinely pleased with it. “Yeah, animals like me.” He kept his hand on the dog’s head as he walked up to the car, peeking at what Leah was looking at. “Want me to grab that for you?” He asked, already thinking about how to get the crate out.

She nodded gratefully, popping the trunk and starting to load up her arms with bags. “That would be awesome. I’ve also got a big bag of dog food, if you can get both?”

Normally, one or the other would be enough for him to prove he was strong and manly, or whatever he felt he needed to prove, but with the heavy bag of food perched on one shoulder and the huge crate box in his arms, Leah smiled at him so sweetly and he couldn’t help but want to see it more.

He followed her into her apartment, surprised by Mr Scratch only following on their heels rather than exploring. “He’s a well trained puppa, huh?” He said, trying to make conversation as Leah set about unloading her bags onto the couch. He leaned the crate box against the wall, carrying the dog food into the kitchen and gently setting it on the floor.

Leah followed him into the kitchen, watching his arms as he slid the heavy bag from his shoulder to the floor. “Actually, think that’ll fit under the first shelf in the pantry?” She watched him open the door and laugh, turning back to her. “I know,” she said a little defensively. “But in our defense, Anne gave us so much food that I haven’t even grocery shopped since I moved in.”

He chuckled, looking over the pouches of spices and few other things in the empty pantry, then he actually eyed the space at the bottom. “I could definitely shove that bag in there,” he said, moving and lifting the bag like it was nothing before dropping it and nudging it in with his foot. “Good enough, right?” He asked, missing her eyes snapping from his body to his face.

Her blush died down when Mr Scratch, feeling left out, walked into her leg and shoved her out of the doorway. “Yeah,” she said, swallowing. “I just wanna apologize again,” she started before he cut her off.

“Hey, whoa, relax.” He held up his hands, trying to keep his voice light. “You didn’t know, and it’s fine. I’m sorry for being a shit about it, it’s just still so surreal.” He lifted his hat, ran a hand through his curly hair, then settled the hat back down. “It was a nice hug, right?”

She laughed despite herself, her hand coming up and covering her mouth. “Oh gosh, I can’t believe my introduction to you was me all gross from work hugging you.” She giggled, not meeting his eye and instead petting the dog wagging and thumping his tail on the cabinets.

Before he thought better of it, Warin told her, “It’s nice to get a hug from a lady who isn’t like… four feet tall.” At her look of horror, he stammered out, “Oh fuck, not like a weird fetish thing, my niece. She’s seven, about this tall?” He held his hand by his side, about four feet off the ground.

Leah let out a bark of laughter, doubling over as she tried to get it under control. Warin was bright red, fighting to not die on the spot, and mumbling to himself. She straightened, wiping tears from her eyes, still giggling a little. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry but that was really funny.” She stepped into his space. “Let me see?”

It took him a second, but he realized what she meant and pulled out his phone, the lock screen had a photo of Maddy holding up a picture she’d drawn. It was a pink bunny with a brown blob on its head that vaguely resembled a cowboy hat drawn by a seven year old. Her huge smile had a missing tooth, and Leah couldn’t help but smile at it. He unlocked his phone, tilting it away from her as he opened his photos and tapped into an album of pictures of her. “She’s a little model,” he mumbled, embarrassed at how many pictures there were. “She always wants me to take her picture.”

Leah tapped one, a picture of a much smaller Maddy on his shoulders and giving the phone a huge smile. Warin looked so happy, maybe even happier than the little girl. “This one’s cute,” she mumbled, swiping through the pictures while only an inch or two from being pressed against Warin’s side. She tapped another thumbnail, a video popping up. She looked at Warin, who was still blushing hard, and let go of the phone he still was holding. “Oh, sorry, I’m just being nosy.”

Warin took a half step back, leaning against the counter and tried to be casual. “It’s fine, she’d love knowing you called her cute. Maddy’s a little princess and I think she thinks everyone automatically loves her.”

Mr Scratch’s collar jingling as he loped over caught Leah’s attention and she gave him a gentle pat. “Alright, Mr Scratch, I'll get your stuff out soon." She turned to Warin, giving him a tiny grin, "It was nice talking to you, and thanks for the help.”

He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. “Are you kicking me out? I can be cute too, you know.” He said, offering her a cheesy grin.

Leah rolled her eyes, giggling at him. “Alright, sure, but I’ve got a puppy to get set up and you’ve got petunias to water.”

He made a show of stretching, his shirt riding up a little. “They’re not petunias, they’re gardenias, but sure, I can get the hint.” He eyed the crate standing by her bedroom door, then leaned in. “I can give you my number if you need any more help, with absolutely anything, beautiful.”

Leah followed his eye line to her bedroom, slightly less of a wreck thanks to her late night efforts to unbox all of her stuff. “Yeah, no, I’m perfectly fine,” she said, herding him toward the front door. If I need something I can text Mitchell or Darius, and I do live with another guy.” She started to close the door in his face once he was out of the apartment.

He put his hand up, stopping the door. “Alright, I guess you don’t need my number, but at least come say ‘Hi, Warin’ when you see me outside looking like a whole ass snack.”

She laughed, shaking her head as she shut the door. “Goodbye, Warin!” She called through the door, locking it behind her as she walked away.

Mr Scratch tilted his head, looking up at her, and she squatted down to give him a kiss on top of his head. “You’re the only boy I need in my bedroom, right?” He wagged his tail, and she started to think about where to put everything.

She sat his bed next to the arm chair she liked to sit on, and set his crate up in her room by the futon. She sighed when she looked at it, realizing that the money she spent on the dog stuff could’ve bought a new mattress at least. But when a cold, wet nose poked against her hand, it was worth it.

She had just gotten comfy when she heard the sound of work boots coming up to her door, then keys jingling. She held Mr Scratch’s collar, keeping him laid down in his bed, and she feigned nonchalance when Nathan swung open the door, tossing his keys onto the side table immediately. He waved to Leah as he walked past, toward his room, then turned around, coming a few steps into the living room.

She tried not to laugh, biting her lip to keep the giggles in, and Nathan just shook his head. “So,” he started, staring at the dog. “I see we have a new roommate.” Leah released Mr Scratch, who jumped up to his feet and circled Nathan, sniffing him intensely. “I know, I know, big boy. I smell like horses and cows.” He pat the dog’s side, smiling.

Leah fluttered her eyelashes, watching both Nathan’s face and Mr Scratch practically shoving at Nathan to get the best sniffs in. “We needed another big, strong guy in here.” They both burst into laughter, Nathan’s snorts making Leah laugh harder.

Nathan shook his head, his big hand gliding down the dog who finally stood still. “Alright, but he’s on you to walk and clean up after, and I’ll just snuggle with him.”

Leah pretended to be deep in thought, making a goofy face. “Hmm, you drive a hard bargain, Mister, but I think that’ll work for me."


End file.
